A New Lease
by Ancient85
Summary: This is the long awaited sequel to The Past Returns. Someone comes out of her coma and brings along with her some interesting insights and shocking revelations.


A New Lease

Recovery. It can be a loaded term sometimes. What does the word recovery imply? Does it mean that everything will be as it was before? Or are there some limitations to one's recovery?

The other thing about recovery is that it may never come, no matter how much one wishes it would. For over twenty years, she would wish for some miracle that would bring her dear aunt and childhood friend out of the coma. For over twenty years that wish of recovery diminished until it was a bleak ray of hope. She found that her hopes and wishes had no chance of being realized. She, the woman who made regular visits to see her aunt at the center, no longer came. She lost the hope she had held for twenty years.

The doctors were surprised the first night she blinked her eyes and calmly asked for a glass of water like she had just woke from a short nap and not a twenty-year slumber. It was what the doctors termed a medical miracle. They were hesitant to contact the only available relative they had on file. They had yet to fully understand the circumstances surrounding her miraculous recovery.

They were also hesitant to notify her for fear that the patient would fall back into another coma. After a few days of monitoring her vitals and such, they dialed the number of the patient's only visitor in the last twenty years.

"Sidle." Sara answers her phone as she steps out of one of the layout rooms.

"Miss Sidle. This is Becky Stevens down at New Haven Center. I'm calling to inform you that your aunt woke up from her coma and is asking for you."

The hand holding the phone falls to her side. The phone slowly makes its decent to the floor.

"Miss Sidle? Miss Sidle?" The phone lies on the floor by her feet. Nick happens to walk by with a file in his hand when he sees Sara frozen in place.

"Hey Sara. You okay. Sara?" Sara snaps out of the trance and looks at Nick.

"Yeah I'm fine."

"Here's your phone. You dropped it. Must have been some call." He hands the phone to Sara.

"I'm fine, Nick. I have to go. Tell Grissom. I'll be back in a while." Sara says ignoring what Nick was saying.

"Uh sure." Sara leaves a confused Nick in the hallway.

New Haven Center

"I was starting to think that you would never come." A woman says as she continues to stare outside.

Sara walks over to her and stands beside her. The woman turns around and smiles.

"It feels like I've been sleeping forever."

Sara remains quiet unsure of what to say.

"I don't remember you being this quiet as a kid. But then a lot can change in twenty years. Wow it's been twenty years…"

"I didn't think you'd ever wake up."

"Well thanks for the vote of confidence there, Sara." Margaret looks back at the old photo of her family that sat at her bedside. "I wouldn't change a thing."

Sara picks up the photo of their family.

"I would do it all again if it meant you would be safe each and every time."

"We were so happy then." Sara's voice is low with a hint of emotion in it. "Then it changed."

"I have something to tell you about that night. Something I have started to remember."

Sara puts the photo down and turns to Margaret.

"What?"

"The real reason I was there that night." Margaret hesitates before continuing, "I was there to kill your father."

"Kill him?"

"I would see how he would treat my sister. I would brush it off at first until she came home with bruises on her arms. She made me swore not to tell our mother about them. I was only a kid then but it still hurt to see her in so much pain. And what made it hurt more was that she was getting beaten by a man that I admired so much."

"I took a knife from my mom's kitchen and snuck out late at night. I wanted it to end and the only way I saw it ending was for someone to end up dead and I hoped it wouldn't be either of you."

"I came in with the knife as he was heading straight for you, but I guess I made too much noise that he turned to face me. I hesitated. He took the opportunity to knock the knife out of my hand and toss me to the floor. I wanted to kill him for what he was doing to you, but I hesitated….I wasn't brave, Sara. I hesitated…your mother saved us. She was brave…braver than I ever was.

* * *

**That's all for now, everyone. I've been meaning to write a sequel to the "Past Returns" fic, but haven't had the time nor a descent storyline to go on until now. I know how you all wanted more so here it is the sequel to "The Past Returns". Please review. Leave any comments or questions you might have. Let me know how you liked the chapter. More updates will come as I finish writing them so it could take a while for the next update so please be patient.**

**Until Next Time,**

**Ancient 85**


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